Sunday 15 January 2012

What Do Agate Rocks Look Like?

BEAUTIFUL AGATES

What Do Agate Rocks Look Like?

WHAT DO AGATE ROCKS LOOK LIKE.

Alas, in the natural state they are quite unprepossessing, resembling dull looking potato-shaped rocks to the untrained eye. However, with some experience you will be able to spot one with maybe a translucent, coloured patch, showing the underlying agate through the eroded rock surface. Hunting on a sunny day helps accentuate this feature. Agate-bearing rocks often have a pitted exterior, or maybe a waxy appearance.

Kate

at a broken area of rock. Agates can often be found in stream beds or on lake shores where the waters tumbling action over the millennia have ground away the rough exterior and polished the agates into bright, easily recognisable gems. Best join a Rock-Hound club and learn how to search for agates from the old timers!

HOW ARE AGATES FORMED.

It all starts with volcanic rock containing a lot of carbon dioxide & water which bubbles out leaving a "Swiss cheese" texture. When water containing dissolved silica with alkalis percolate through these holes, the minerals are precipitated out slowly in the rock voids, producing those glorious patterns & colours of Agates (agate is a form of Chalcedony, which in turn is a form of Quartz, one of the most common minerals on
Earth). The alkali in the solution can attack any iron in the rock, producing bands of iron hydroxide in spectacular forms and combinations with other minerals present in the saturated solution. Agates have also been found in Dinosaur bones, so high temperatures or pressures are not required for their formation, just patience. These agates often maintain

the host original shape, after the host (tree, or root etc.) has eroded away, hence their name of Limb Cast Agates

SOME COMMON AGATE TYPES:-

ONYX is a form of agate where the bands are white, alternating with other bands of mainly black, but also of brown or red, depending on the mineral composition of the surrounding area.

MOSS AGATE is a Dendritic Agate, looking like it has vegetative inclusions (similar to Amber) but in reality, the Dendrites (from the Greek Dendron - Tree) are usually minerals like oxides of Manganese or Iron, which have percolated into cracks in the agate and then deposited out.

The transparency of the agate allows these dendrites to be seen within the agate.

TURRITELLA AGATE are formed from the Turritell shells, a fossilised marine gastropod with an elongated spiral shell or many whorls.

PETOSKEY AGATE is an agatized coral found in the Ottawa region of Canada, chiefly around the town of Petoskey, in river beds.

AGATES are truly one of the most beautiful minerals, to be found in a fantastic variety of colours, shades & patterns. When sliced and polished, they are the "Crown Jewels" in any mineral collectors display!

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Thursday 12 January 2012

What to Write on a Card to Someone Who Has Cancer

Think of the last wedding you attended; the last time you celebrated a friend's birthday, or the birth of their child. Chances are, a greeting card was involved. Whether you grabbed it last minute from your local drugstore or carefully perused the aisles of Hallmark, it's likely that there was a section geared toward whatever occasion or situation you were acknowledging. But what if there's not?

What to Write on a Card to Someone Who Has Cancer

Despite the growing number of greeting card sub-categories and a marketable awareness of people's needs in our diverse world, it's still a potential challenge to find just the right way to express ourselves, particularly when touchy or taboo subject matter is involved. The best example of this is a terminal illness or a grave medical condition, such as AIDS or cancer.

While it's true that AIDS isn't the death sentence it once was and many types of cancer can be treated and overcome, those diagnosed with these diseases knows that at the end of the day, they're fighting for their lives. This may be a loved one, a co-worker, or perhaps someone from your past that you haven't spoken to in a while. You want to let them know you're thinking of them; so how do you wish them well in a way that is tasteful and appropriate? You may be wondering how a flimsy greeting card, with someone else's words or drawings, possibly convey what you want to say?

Kate

The answer is that what you say is far more important that how you choose to say it, and while an uplifting message of strength or faith is a common choice, even the smallest personal touch can adds an element of authenticity that makes it special. Patients suffering from cancer are understandably prone to depression, as they're experiencing many changes and are likely in some pain, especially if they're undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. With this in mind, sharing a recent anecdote or recalling a funny memory from the past is a welcome distraction from the seriousness of their current situation.

While its important to not appear insincere or callous, a close friend or relative will likely appreciate a little dose of bedside comedy. If you're dealing with an open-minded friend (who has begun losing their hair yet proudly maintains their sense of humor), you can joke about how they need to hurry up and get better, as the local hair salon is abuzz with what kind of wig they should get!

The important thing is to let the person know what they mean to you and that you are thinking of them. Giving and receiving a card is touching and timeless, and it's not the time to offer unsolicited medical advice or unwittingly provide false hope about an experimental cure that you recently heard about. It's the simplest of gestures, one that yields the biggest results -- widened smiles and raised spirits.

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Tuesday 10 January 2012

What Color Is Your Advertising? How Color Theory Can Make Your Marketing More Effective

If you're planning a marketing or advertising campaign, color is sure to play a key role in the success of your venture. After all, it's pretty much the first thing your consumers will notice*, making color your best - and sometimes only - chance to get a message across.

What Color Is Your Advertising? How Color Theory Can Make Your Marketing More Effective

Use of color in most design for marketing and advertising is dictated by certain obvious requirements; the need to reflect a specific brand, as well as the attempt to communicate a certain mood dictated by the product itself.

Company branding is pretty straightforward - specific colors dictated by logos and other devices will need to be incorporated into at least part of your design. It's the choice of color scheme for conveying the 'personality' of a product that's often a lot harder to come up with.

Kate

Sometimes the decision is partly intuitive - most people understand even at a very basic level that bright, saturated colors will convey a different kind of mood to neutral grays or browns. Experienced designers, of course, go further still, selecting and implementing colors on the basis of their effectiveness in the overall design. Here, the guidelines of traditional color theory often come into play as a kind of balancing act to ensure that all parts work together well and that the right kind of colors are used.

But what if some colors are actually more right than others?

We're about to embark on an exploration of color related not just to its use in layout, but rather, the psychological and physical impact it's likely to have on a viewer.

A big, and sometimes controversial undertaking, and we'll first need to get a couple of things straight. While people often talk about a psychology of color, in reality, most psychologists would find fault with the accuracy of this term. This is because the significance given to various colors isn't universal and unchanging - in many ways it's quite the opposite: various cultures quite often associate the same color with very different emotions and ideas.*

Yet colors and their underlying fabric of sociological and historical connotation certainly do produce specific reactions in particular contexts - emotions, associations and even physical effects that can help advertisers in their quest for ever more accurate targeting.

And if this all sounds a bit hokey, at the very least, the idea that color can actively influence consumers shouldn't be disregarded entirely. So let's take a look at what colors seem to be telling us.

Red

Red, the most vibrant and powerful of colors, seems like a good place to start. Particularly since studies have shown that it's the first color babies recognize, and one that continues to appeal to most people throughout their childhood and into their adult lives.

At a purely symbolic level, it's the color of fire and blood, an association that's common to all cultures and therefore extremely powerful. Less specifically, it's a color that seems to be associated with energy, war, danger and power, not to mention passion, desire, and love.

So what does that mean for marketing?

To start with, some of these associations are so deeply ingrained that it wouldn't be wise to use a color other than red to represent certain states. Try depicting extreme emotions such as violence or passion with shades of blue and you're going to run into problems.

What's more, it has been shown that in its brighter variations (tomato, pillar-box), red actually provokes a physical response by raising respiration rate and blood pressure.

For this reason, its use in 'sexy' advertising scenarios or as an erotically charged statement (on lips or fingernails) should quite literally set hearts beating faster - and unusually, it's regarded as equally arousing by men and women.

Whether the physiological 'red effect' occurs simply as a result of its associations; or because the color itself somehow provokes such a response; or, if, indeed, this effect relies on a combination of the two isn't something that necessarily matters here. What is important is that red, like virtually every other color, exerts a measurable influence on the consumer.

More about the 'red effect'

Quite apart from any physical reactions it might provoke, red's association with force, and therefore power, is an extremely dominant one. Consider all the small details in our everyday lives that support this notion: red icons on switches to indicate their 'on' state, the plastic coating on 'live' wires, the tiny red glow that tells us an electrical appliance is working.

All of which makes red an ideal color to suggest fast-moving action or extreme force - examples of products that might fall into this category include computer games, action-adventure books or movies.

This deep-rooted association with power, coupled with the fact that it actually raises metabolic speed, also makes red a good candidate for any product that seeks to impart the idea of improvement, rapidity or physical change. Just a few of many possible examples include anything related to sport or speed (think of those red sports cars), energy drinks, self-help guides, or batteries. Even 'fast-acting' or 'powerful' over-the-counter drugs can support their status with at least a dash of red.

Perhaps as a result of all that heavy breathing, red also increases appetite, making it an excellent choice for advertising food (it's popularly claimed that Chinese restaurants often use red color schemes for this reason, but there's little truth in this - red simply happens to be a very popular and 'lucky' color in Chinese culture).

However, if enticing diners to eat heartily is something you're aiming to do, an all-red environment is a good way to get stomachs rumbling.

Pink

Although it derives from red, pink has little of its big brother's forceful qualities. In fact, although it's usually perceived as a warm and fairly upbeat color, it is, of course, popularly associated with femininity and even passivity. A cliche, perhaps, but its vigor-reducing reputation has again been shown to have some basis in fact.

Famously, a shade of bubble-gum pink used in certain cells in a men's prison was unexpectedly found to placate aggressive inmates. Research corroborated the fact that pink did indeed have significant calming qualities - although subsequent study revealed that after a certain time these effects were dramatically reversed as prisoners became more agitated and aggressive than before. (Surprised? You try living in a bubble gum pink environment).

Nevertheless, the fact that pink does induce at least a temporary sensation of calm makes it a powerful factor in the color-coordinated approach to advertising. Its peaceful, relaxing qualities and general evocation of comfort and softness have long made it a favorite for items such as toilet paper, cotton wool and 'gentle on the skin' toiletries, especially baby lotions.

This association could possibly be explored further as a background or accent color for items where comfort is key, such as bedding, sofas or carpets. Apply with caution, however - the strong association with femininity means that anything 'too' pink is likely to be snubbed by men.

There's one other area in which pink has an interesting effect, however - and one that's far less likely to alienate males. It's well known that a high concentration of color in foodstuffs will lead consumers to believe they're tastier, or even identify a flavor that isn't actually present.* And pink coloring is a particularly effective way of suggesting sweetness.

This may relate to the fact that it's often used as a coloring in candies, but whatever the case, the association is powerful enough to substantially increase a food's perceived sugariness or even depth of flavor. Pink sprinkles or toppings will add oomph to vanilla ice cream, and pink marshmallows are often assumed to be sweeter than white ones (they aren't).

Although in these health-conscious times sweet, sugary foods have lost much of their popularity, the marketing of certain products is still likely to benefit from a little pink-appeal: feel-good desserts, ice creams, shakes and certainly artificial sweeteners. It's also a color that could be used to make sugar-free, healthier foods seem more enticing to kids - as long as Mom and Dad are able to see through the ruse themselves.

Green

Occurring naturally as a sign of plant growth and renewal, green is one of those colors that's universally seen as positive, fresh and fertile. It's also a color that, once again, produces noticeable physical effects. it's the easiest color for the eye to assimilate and therefore one of the most relaxing; it induces feelings of calm and restfulness, and can even improve vision. In short, it's a very positive color indeed.

This emphasis on nature, freshness and renewal means that it's commonly used to emphasize the cleansing, 'regenerative' aspect of household items such as bleaches, detergents, air fresheners. But if you notice a certain irony in this, well-spotted, because green, of course, has steadily evolved into the symbol of all that's ecologically aware. Which isn't a label that applies to most cleaning products.

The widespread acceptance of 'green' in its current sense is actually a fairly recent phenomenon*, but with increasing focus on ecological issues it's extremely powerful and will only gain in strength. So much so, in fact, that real care needs to be taken now that use of green doesn't suggest a product is all-natural, organic or additive-free if it isn't. Congruity in advertising - or the notion that what's implied about a product should be supported by its reality - is one of the most vital aspects of marketing. Get this wrong, and there's no consumer forgiveness.

Yet despite green requiring caution in advertising, its current associations have equally led to opportunities for more refined targeting. Wholesome, healthy food items are likely to be quickly identified as such through predominant use of green, and the same can be said for products or services associated with any type of healing, spirituality, or personal growth: yoga, slimming programs, alternative medicines.

Different greens, different meanings

Green is a symbolically complex color, and particular shades transmit subtly different messages. Darker greens - the classic color of bank-notes and bills - have long held an association with finance. The added implication of growth and fertility therefore makes green a good choice for promotion of many financial products, particularly saving schemes, pensions and insurance plans.

Lime greens, which emerged as popular trend color in the '90s, denote an especially vibrant freshness due to their close relationship to effervescent yellows. As such, they make excellent keynote colors for fresh, healthy, energy-inducing products such as juices, tonics, vitamin supplements and energy drinks.

Finally, a further modern-day association with green stems from its use in traffic systems to signify 'go'. This link with movement, forward motion and vehicles make it a potentially good choice for anything related to transport: carriers, train networks, buses. And for online advertising, try using green for buttons or links you'd particularly like clicked - you're practically inviting a user to go ahead and do so.

Blue

Blue is by far the world's most popular color. And as one that, like green, occurs in nature - the hue of skies, water and sea - it's not surprising that it's so well loved. With such universal associations and widespread appeal, blue is an important asset to any color theorist.

Unlike very warm colors, which provoke impulsive, passionate responses, blue is a cerebral color that's commonly associated with clear thinking and intellect. For good reason, too, as its use in offices and workplaces has been shown to dramatically increase productivity and a sense of well-being. Perhaps more surprisingly, other studies indicate that blue can even improve physical prowess - weight-lifters typically perform better in blue surroundings. However, this is probably a secondary effect of its ability to sharpen concentration.

This association with clear thought and precision make blue a good choice for anything involving a high degree of complex manufacture, such as computing products, electronic goods or hi-tech appliances in general. Darker blues emphasize this association even further, and their widespread appeal among men provide a perfect keynote for high-end, precision-made items with a masculine focus - expensive cars, bespoke tailoring, luxury grooming products.

Given such a setting, it's no real surprise either that blue emerges as a clear favorite in the corporate world. Its implication of steadiness and reason continue to make it an effective choice for much company branding, although its white collar associations can also suggest stuffiness and conservatism.

In its lighter, brighter shades, blue loses much of its cool aloofness and takes on happier, sparkling and spontaneous overtones. The pure and natural aspect of such blues convey a sense of cleanliness and freshness and are often used for cleaning products, detergents, deodorants and toothpastes.

Bright blue is also an obvious choice for the typical vacation. Evocative of cloudless skies and inviting pools or seas, it also gives a tantalizing taste of tranquility and relaxation by slowing down the metabolism and producing feelings of calm and well-being. A powerful message indeed, and one that makes blue an equally effective choice for health spas, beauty clinics and any other service where deep relaxation or therapy is a key selling point.

In fact, blue is such a flexible and well-liked color that it's almost impossible to mis-use - with one major exception.

Foods, particularly meats, dairy products and staples such as pasta or rice, really don't benefit from any kind of association with blue. To start with, that drop in metabolism will certainly reduce the appetite; but this doesn't explain the fact that a blue/food combo can even induce feelings of nausea. (Try it. Add a little coloring to pasta, white sauce, or even better, light-fleshed meat such as pork or chicken. See how far you get before pushing your plate to one side).

It's been suggested that we instinctively associate the color with something that's rotten and unsafe to eat, but whatever the case, it's not a great choice for marketing a ready-meal. And if you find yourself running low at your next dinner party, bring out the blue plates. There won't be many requests for second helpings.

Yellow

Yellow is clearly vibrant, energetic and fun - it's the color of sunshine, flame and fire and is closely associated with warmth, happiness and the positive energy such states create. It produces bodily responses that are perfectly in keeping with this reading, too; an instant feeling of well-being along with a noticeable boost to mental activity.

For this reason, it's a color that effectively communicates the nature of products associated with vitality and stimulus, such as energy drinks, sports equipment, vitamin supplements or remedies. And as the perfect feel-good color, it's a great choice too for promoting group leisure activities, clubs and social networks.

Visually, yellow has a high impact that's hard to ignore, a fact reflected in its use for items such as sticky notes and highlighter inks. Since it demonstrably sharpens attention, too (back to the notes and highlighter pens!) it's worth considering lighter yellows as a background for large amounts of text, especially copy that requires close attention such as tutorials, instructions, or rules and regulations.

Yellow does requires a certain amount of care, however. Very light yellows can often appear drab, especially on-screen, while brighter shades tend to become overpowering.

The yellow effect is an intense one, and its enervating qualities can quickly put people on edge. Yellow rooms make babies cry more, and they also provoke hot tempers and arguments. And finally, while it's a color that can be used to market most products to women - from washing up gloves to expensive scents - men are far less likely to appreciate its use with expensive or luxury goods.

White

Pristine and pure, white appropriately signifies cleanliness, spiritual health and, of course, purity in most cultures. It's considered a non-color to which nothing has been added, making it an ideal choice for products wanting to accentuate their unadulterated, un-tampered with goodness: no-frills items, reduced fat, low-sugar or no-additive foods, pure juices, skin-care products.

White is also the classic 'clean' color, providing the easiest way to add a sense of uncluttered spaciousness to print or screen graphics. Yet its association with cleanliness and hygiene (white clearly shows dirt so is commonly used in hospitals, for example) lends it a certain clinical quality that can deprive a marketing message of warmth or even context. For this reason, it's best used with an accent color to combine the best of two worlds - the visual clarity of white and the emotional resonance of a carefully chosen highlight.

Remember, too, that on-screen, the combination of light-filled white with black text is fairly hard on the eye. Try choosing a tinted background for large quantities of copy (yellow is often a good choice, as mentioned above) or change the color of the text itself.

Black

Although in western culture the color black certainly holds several negative linguistic connotations (black magic, black market) it's also very positively associated with authority, prestige and exclusivity (black tie event, black credit card, black mercedes).

A slightly confusing message, but in general, black can be used very effectively to denote cool sophistication and a powerful sense of extreme luxury or expense.

Pair this with the fact that visually, it's a color that creates a real sense of depth while also focusing the attention more completely than white, and black makes an ideal backdrop for images of luxury goods or services such as high-end hotels. Men seem to respond particularly well to such a combination - perhaps because it's also been shown that for guys, black is a color with marked erotic overtones (combine it with red and you're onto a testerone-charged winner that's bound to attract male attention!)

Black is also by far the most common text color; perfect in print, although on-screen the contrast with white can often seem harsh. A good tip is to consider using a very dark gray instead. And colored text against a black background is rarely a good idea except in small areas, as black backgrounds diminish readability and will quickly tire viewers.

Orange

With Its combination of energetic reds and feel-good yellows, orange is a color that's clearly suggestive of fun, warmth and pleasure. And like its constituents, orange exerts an invigorating effect by increasing oxygen to the brain and stimulating mental activity. It's therefore an excellent choice for any product associated with energy and vigor, such as sporting equipment or services, adventure holidays, theme park rides, energy drinks.

Think you've read something like this before? Well in fact, orange can impart very similar messages to red, but importantly, without its slightly aggressive edge.

Of all the colors, orange is also the best at stimulating appetite. So good in fact, that you may notice a lot of it in the snack or candy shelves near a checkout. Strategic thinking, because the orange ability to generate sudden hunger pangs will often lead to impulse purchases.

Yet orange, particularly in its brighter shades, is also a color that's perceived as lacking prestige. Perhaps this is because its high visibility means it's a frequent factor in motel signs, fast food outlets and similar 'low-frills' businesses, but whatever the reasons, it's a color that's become associated with lower-budget options and shouldn't be used extensively for products wanting to impart a high quality message. (The opposite also holds true, however, making it a very good choice to indicate value for money, savings and discounts).

Purple

Mysterious, alluring, and very definitely regal, purple is a relatively uncommon color in nature. In the ancient world, its scarcity meant that it was highly valued, and rare, expensive purple dyes were used exclusively by nobility.

This association with wealth and prestige remains to this day, making purple, especially in its darker shades, an excellent complement to luxury items.

In fact, the association with expense is so strong that it can even be used to add a touch of instant class to cheaper products. For example, a bus company using purple livery would almost certainly be perceived as more luxurious than one using orange. The risk here, though, is that the consumer's perception of comparative price might also rise accordingly - even if fares are identical.

Purple secrets

Purple also has some interesting hidden talents. It's been noted, for instance, that many women find it an extremely erotic color, making it the female equivalent of the guys' libido-enhancing black.

In fact, purple turns out to be a very girly color indeed - far more so than pink, the usual suspect. It's a definite hit amongst young and adolescent girls for example, with some studies claiming that almost 75% rate it their favorite color. So while men seem fairly neutral about purple, if you're looking for a color that speaks directly to the ladies, this may well be the one to choose.

Brown

And what about the guys? Well if you tried to guess, chances are you'd get it right. Brown, along with blue, is consistently voted a favorite color by men. And why not? Solid, earthy, dependable; it might lack the zing of the brighter primaries, but it resonates with a sense of trustworthiness and dependability. And if that's the kind of message you're looking to add to your marketing strategy, brown is often the right color to convey it - especially of course, if the product's aimed specifically at males.

An interesting off-shoot of all this earnestness is the fact that brown is often claimed to be a highly 'believable' color, too. In other words, it's more likely to add credibility to an advertising message - an important factor if your communication makes claims that may seem extravagant.

Bear in mind though, that if used too extensively brown can also have a stodgy, dampening effect. And whatever message your marketing is ultimately trying to convey, its main purpose is to stimulate enough visual interest to attract and excite instant attention.

But even in this respect, brown turns out to be pretty dependable: it easily converts into lighter and darker shades without losing depth, and can also be mixed with more dynamic colors - reds, yellows, oranges for a much more upbeat feel. So use the color recommendations given here to spice up a brown accordingly.

Planning an ad for well-made, hard-wearing, yet sporty gear for guys? Brown combined with a hint of red should give just the right message.

FOOTNOTES

* While images are generally more noticeable than flat blocks of color, they are, of course, usually dominated by a particular color in order to enhance and support an overall layout.

* One example would be the use of white clothing to signify mourning in India and many parts of Asia. In this article I'm focusing on color in the context of western culture.

* Numerous studies have shown that higher levels of coloring in food or drinks leads to the belief that they are stronger in taste than identical items with less color. Assumptions regarding color-taste correlation can even cause errors when identifying flavor; for example, a cherry-flavored drink colored purple may well be identified as grape.

* The color green has long been a symbol of ecologically motivated political parties and movements, but it's only in recent years that this meaning has become completely mainstream through widespread media emphasis on global warming and other ecological issues.

* Oddly enough, red in this context don't seem to provoke a 'stop' response and will also work well for buttons, particularly if a quick decision is required. Green, however, will always be perceived as a less risky click.

REFERENCES

Bellizzi, Joseph A., Ayn E. Crowley, and Ronald W. Hasty (1983), "The Effects of Color in Store Design," Journal of Retailing, 59 (1)
--, and Robert E. Hite (1992), "Environmental Color, Consumer Feelings and Purchase Likelihood," Psychology and Marketing, 9 (5)

Birren, Faber (1978), Color and Human Response, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Gorn, Gerald J., Amitava Chattopadhyay, Tracey Yi, and Darren W. Dahl (1997), "Effects of Color as an Executional Cue in Advertising: They're in the Shade," Management Science, 43 (10)
--, and Patricia C. Smith (1959), "A System of Color Preferences," American Journal of Psychology, 72 (4)

Hall, Richard H., and Patrick Hanna (2004), "The Impact of Web Page Text-Background Colour Combinations on Readability, Retention Aesthetics and Behavioral Intention," Behaviour and Information Technology, 23 (May/June)

Hevner, Kate (1935), "Experimental Studies of the Affective Value of Colors and Lines," Journal of Applied Psychology, 19 (2)

Jacobs, Keith W., and James F. Suess (1975), "Effects of Four Psychological Primary Colors on Anxiety State," Perceptual and Motor Skills, 41 (1)

Madden, Thomas J., Kelly Hewett, and Martin S. Roth (2000), "Managing Images in Different Cultures: A Cross-National Study of Color Meanings and Preferences," Journal of International Marketing, 8 (4)

Meyers-Levy, Joan, and Laura A. Peracchio (1995), "Understanding the Effects of Color: How the Correspondence Between Available and Required Resources Affects Attitudes," Journal of Consumer Research, 22 (2), 121-138.

Middlestadt, Susan E. (1990), "The Effect of Background and Ambient Color on Product Attitudes and Beliefs," in Advances in Consumer Research, vol. 17, Rebecca Holman and Michael Solomon, eds., Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research,

Schaie, Klaus W., and Robert Heiss (1964), Color and Personality, Berne, Switzerland: Hans Huber.

Schindler, Pamela S. (1986), "Color and Contrast in Magazine Advertising," Psychology and Marketing, 3 (2)

Wilson, Glenn D. (1966), "Arousal Properties of Red Versus Green," Perceptual and Motor Skills, 23 (3)

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Monday 9 January 2012

Around the Clock Bridal Shower Invitations Suggestions

Brides often worry about the wording which goes inside the bridal shower invitation. Don't worry yourself silly. Guests will be delighted to receive your invite. Even if the card has been written and distributed by you or your maid of honour.

Around the Clock Bridal Shower Invitations Suggestions

Bridal showers are generally held around 6 weeks before the wedding date. Bridal shower etiquette is not as formal as the wedding day itself. In previous years the bridal showers were always thrown together at the last minute. No formal etiquette has developed over the years. If you wish you can send out bridal shower bachelorette invitations to your guests.

Let your guests the usual details. When, where and what theme you are having at the party. A memorable theme amongst bridesmaids could be the around the clock bridal shower invitations. The aim is simple. Each shower guest is allocated a time of day on their around the clock bridal shower invitations. Each guest will bring a present depending on section of day.

Kate

You can incorporate the time as:

Breakfast time could have the guest bring along a tea pot, tea set, coffee maker, kettle, etc
Bath time could be buying beautiful his and hers robes, towels, bath salts, toiletries, etc
Dinner time may see the guests purchase a dinner set, glasses, cocktail glasses, recipe book, etc

On the invitation you can allocate all sorts of times and themes.

Some guests may have purchased their gift before the invitation was sent out. That's alright. Some guests might prefer to purchase a gift carefully thought out by themselves. The important thing to remember is to have fun at the bridal shower. When the bride opens all her presents during the course of the evening. No one will remember or bother what "time of day" they had been allocated.

Your organiser can ask guest to write a story from kindergarden, school, college, university or some fun family secrets. This can be pinned to a board to make a memorable collage of the bride's life. The pages can be glued into a book as a beautiful keepsake in years to come.

Party games can be organised while the gifts are being opened.

Everyone will hopefully go home and look back on a fun filled pack day.

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Friday 6 January 2012

Wedding Ceremony Script

Wedding occasion is one of most significant days in every human's life. There are different denominations of people. Everyone celebrates weddings according to their customs. The wedding to be conducted is first authorized by the elder priests of the church. The acceptance will be then conveyed to the parents or the guardian. Then the venue, date and time is fixed. On the day of the wedding, the script is the heart of the wedding ceremony. Wedding ceremony scripts are unique and customized. Wedding scripts are lengthy and wedding ceremony scripts are given to the bride and the groom and they will have rehearsals too.

Wedding Ceremony Script

On the day of wedding, amidst the friends and relatives the bride stays at the entrance of the church waiting for the ceremony to start. The groom will stay inside the church near the altar where the ceremony is to be held. The wedding ceremony starts with entrance and processional music followed by the introduction of the priest. Then scripture readings are done by the priest. Congregation, priests and wedding couple sing matrimonial hymns and songs.

The wedding ceremony script includes the priest asking for acceptance of the congregation whether the couples can marry. When acceptance by the congregation is given, the couple is asked for the same. Then the priest precedes the ceremony by asking," Will you have this man/woman? The couple should answer, yes. This is followed by exchanging rings and the priest blesses the couple.

Kate

Wedding vows are given by the couple in front of the priest. The script begins as, "I"(the name spelled) promise to be with my husband/ wife at all circumstances of happiness or sorrow etc,. The priest says," This couple is united before the eyes of God and no man shall divide them". Let them be husband and wife.

The special message is delivered to the couple and the congregation by the priest. Offerings and gifts are given to the church by the newly wed couple. Then the priest introduces the couple to the church and everyone sings the closing hymn followed by the blessing of the priest to the gathering. This is followed by the cake cutting ceremony, reception and dinner.

The wedding ceremony script is what the people remember. The vows taken are another attraction. It is to make their wedding unique that so much attention and care goes into writing the wedding ceremony script. So, if you are planning to get married soon, get your wedding ceremony script ready before the tension gets to you.

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Sunday 1 January 2012

Independence, Motherhood and Feminism in Kate Chopin's "The Awakening"

"Awakening" (In Chopin C. "Awakening and Other Stories" Random House, New York, NY: 2000) involves issues of feminism whereby Edna Pontellier, the center of the American Creole/New Orleans story, often and perplexedly reflects on her role of mother-of-two who is married to a well-off and often traveling (for business or pleasure) brokerage-business husband (Leonce Pontellier). The book garnered a lot of controversy for many decades after it was written in 1899, but eventually became and has endured as Kate Chopin's most famous work.

Independence, Motherhood and Feminism in Kate Chopin's "The Awakening"

The community views Leonce as the epitome of the ideal husband, for Leonce greatly adores and provides for wife and children, he is quite consistently concerned about the welfare and happiness of his household. Yet Edna does not look at Leonce as her choice of husband, she says their marriage was accidental, that as she was growing up there are particular men that came around her that she would have wished to take her hand. Leonce is disciplined, insistent and low-toned, often dissatisfied about Edna's attention to the children and other household issues, more so because he is often away on business and Edna has a lot of help, Leonce sometimes causes Edna to walk off and cry.

Perhaps Edna was the precursor of the modern era American woman...one who is prevalently independent (or at least longs to be), one who has more power in making decisions about what she prefers, one whose identity is not predominantly defined by wealth, looks, family, husband, or children. In her state of psychological disillusionment ("An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with vague anguish" [179]), Edna's love for the two boys she gave birth to is uncharacteristically distant, the mother's instinct seemingly weak, the kids have more fondness for their father. "If one of the little Pontellier boys took a tumble whilst at play, he was not apt to rush crying to his mother's arms for comfort....Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman..." (181).

Kate

The author Chopin hence paints a picture of a soul plagued by a mixture of feminist and psychological issues. It is to be remembered, that even in this age of feminist liberation, providing men who love and care for their wives and children are still held in high esteem and are still in high demand. Chopin implicitly displays that female emancipation and longing can be of numerous forms. Further, Chopin often compares and contrasts main characters in terms of their beauty and body textures/ forms, illustrating that this issue has been strong in the United States for centuries.

"[Edna] was rather handsome than beautiful...face...captivating by reason of a certain frankness of expression and a contradictory subtle play of features" (174). Chopin writes of Edna's companion and friend Adele Rattignolle (as somewhat contrasted with Edna) that, "...her beauty was all there, flaming and apparent...two lips that pouted...the grace of every step, pose, gesture... (182). Many writers have noted that Kate Chopin was not a suffragist and did not join any feminist movements; and indeed, many feminist writers reduce the value of the aesthetic features and comparisons of women, aspects that can remind of Hollywood vagueness.

Eventually, Edna wants to leave her family big house and settle "...in a four-room house along the corner" (294). A woman who had great difficulty at learning how to swim, one who is still sophomoric at it, Edna will ultimately find disturbing comfort in introspectively walking alone to the sea, in taking off all her clothing, reflecting on her life and swim into and allow herself to be swallowed by the sea, a fatal blow to the self-possession and psychological emancipation that she sought. Edna was born a reserved child, she was miserable and felt stifled, her marriage and sketches did not reach the standards she wanted them, there was something lacking in her "ideal, loving family; her comfort and big house," the lustful affair with the lad Robert the conspicuous and philandering son of Madame Lebrun the property owner was full of gaping holes and would not last. Edna did not fit in the conventional mode of the beginning of the 20th Century American dream woman. She instead provides a window into what the woman, over the numerous decades to come, would perhaps evolve into as the individualist and the emancipated female.

In "Awakening," Edna Pontellier is supposed to be one of the most fortunate women in the world. She has a present, fidel, hardworking and earning, capable, loving husband, who sired with her two male kids, she does not have to go outside of home to work. Yet, she is dissatisfied with her status quo, a rich homely situation that many women crave to be in. The narrator is telling us that women are complex persons, each of individual personality, one size does not fit all; needs and interests, and ambitions of each woman vary. Edna is horrifyingly distant from the two boys she gave birth to. "If one of the little Pontellier boys took a tumble whilst at play, he was not apt to rush crying to his mother's arms for comfort....Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman..." (181). But indeed women (and female animals) have been known to neglect and even kill their children, reasons for which vary from psychological to dislike for tending to offspring. Women have been known to chase down and drown their children in bathtubs (Andrea Pia Yates, in 2002, drowned all five offspring in a bathtub; she has had a history of post-partum depression and psychosis), or let a car-full of their children roll into a river and get them drowned (Susan Smith, in 1994 did this to her two sons).

Edna Pontellier had two sons, she drowns herself in the end. Women have been known to leave their enviable husbands and children in a comfortable life, and fall for top-notch criminals who are locked up in prison. Edna mentions wanting to leave her comfortable home and enviable family, and living in a smaller habitation down the street "...in a four-room house along the corner" (294). Post-partum depression has been mentioned about women, and in Edna's case it seems to have become indefinite. Many women, even in the contemporary times long for biological or at least adoptive motherhood. Still, there are those who opine their biologically begetting children as one of the most unfair ways a woman is exploited as a painstaking residence of a baby during gestation. Human gestation is a trying experience, compared to that of most other species (consider squirrels and rabbits). Human fetuses comparatively have many defects, miscarriages are common. At the same time the man does not have the burden of carrying the child to childbirth and keeping a sleep-ridden eye on the child. The fathers of the child sometimes wander away, abandoning their offspring.

Edna portrays that a woman can want much more than a family of children and a husband, perhaps she was a lesbian who had not discovered herself as one. She was at least discontented with her husband Leonce who comes off as conventional, disciplined, and inflexible. This discontentment is understandable...it happens. But why the distance from her offspring, and then the lustful interest in the young man Robert, eventually adultery? Edna will always be an enigma! Perhaps Edna suffered from multiple-personality disorder, something psychological irked her. Perhaps she longed to be the independent free woman, one who had the freedom to love or have sex with her choice of person, the precursor of the 20th and 21st Century independent and upstanding woman free to express her sexuality and stick to her preferences. Edna, many times in subtle ways, brings forth into question, feminism in the context of individuality, sexuality, marriage, freedom and choice, reproduction and child-rearing, spousal attachment and power, and the context and role of marriage in a woman's life. Edna brings it out that each female is of unique individuality, of personal talent and likes that beg to be fully uncovered so she need not be comfortable with how society compartmentalizes women, more so as wives, mothers, home-makers, and as cherished articles of beauty and ownership.

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Saturday 31 December 2011

Make a Statement With a Baumatic Retro Fridge

If you love the look of the 1960s kitchen, your home simply won't be complete without a retro fridge. Perhaps the most well known of these stylish appliances is Smeg. However, don't limit yourself to this brand as there are several alternatives.

Make a Statement With a Baumatic Retro Fridge

Baumatic, for example, manufacturers a beautiful range of retro fridges and fridge freezers with soft curves and silver handles. The Baumatic RETRO12BL fridge is a freestanding full height model. It stands at a very impressive 146.5cm high and will easily become the focal point in a contemporary kitchen. The robust models are favoured by many families as they offer an element of individuality to what might otherwise be a fairly standard looking appliance.

On the other hand, if you're worried your Baumatic retro fridge may appear garish or out of place amongst your other, more contemporary appliances, fear not. Retro appliances don't look out of place in a modern kitchen, they simply add more character and flair to a room.

Kate

The Baumatic RETRO12BL isn't just a pretty appliance, it is functional too. Despite its retro appearance the fridge comes complete with a very modern energy rating of A+. This ensures your fridge will run very efficiently, costing you less in energy bills.

This retro fridge comes in a choice of back or ivory, so you're free to choose your appliance depending upon the design and colour scheme of your kitchen.

The Baumatic retro fridge has a capacity of 250 litres so it would suit a large family's needs, even catering for the whole weekly shop. Plus, the fridge also contains a frozen food compartment so if you need easy access to frozen groceries you can just place them in this dedicated area. This is a particularly useful function for storing party foods, or small quantities of food if your main freezer is located in a garage or outhouse.

The fridge also has an intelligent auto defrost feature to prevent the build up of ice on the cooling element. This means the fridge is able to run at its optimum capacity at all times as ice build up around the cooling element means the fridge requires more energy to run normally, thus keeping your food fresh.

The Baumatic RETRO12BL has four shelves on which to store your food, they are made out of safety glass so they don't shatter when broken, reducing the risk of cutting yourself on shards of glass. This is good if you have young children in your household as accidents can happen.

Baumatic retro fridges are an asset to any kitchen, modern or classic - just make sure you measure up first, to ensure you can fit your appliance in.

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